Tangle of Need

Singh brings her Psy/Changeling world closer to cataclysm in this engrossing 11th episode (after Kiss of Snow). Riaz and Adria, both dominant wolf changelings, have been burned in previous relationships: Adria is slowly recovering from a relationship with a male who couldn’t accept her strength, while Riaz still aches from being rejected by the woman destined to be his mate. As the Psy edge closer to civil war, Riaz and Adria are battered by politics, violence, and their compulsive attraction to each other despite their certainty that they cannot form a mating bond. The action is also driven by past protagonists whose romances continue to develop realistically. Singh handles the division with deft style, weaving threads of her previous tales into the looming conflict without ever neglecting the budding relationship. Perhaps more important for returning readers, she stays beautifully faithful to her own mythology, creating a truly satisfying romance and compelling action in one of her strongest episodes to date. Agent: Elaine Spencer, the Knight Agency. (June)